Monday, January 12, 2009

TV is the new RADIO.... and what the hell that means

Since Australian radio (as a rule) has stopped breaking new artists and has kind of become the last place you'll hear songs 'for the first time' - the effect of synchronization to TV programs, station promos or advertisements has never been so poweful. Just today on Nova I heard 'Everybody's Free' which is a Global Deejays remix of the Rozalla dance classic. This is the song used on the extended pre-season promotion for Channel Ten's So You Think You Can Dance Australia (see video above) over the past couple of weeks, and it certainly didn't garner any daytime radio spins prior to the Ten campaign.

With the exception of marquee artists (whose popularity and sales history is at a level where anything new they service to radio will get added to CHR) and songs which have seen huge charting overseas prior to release here, radio is not playing 'new' music. They're waiting. Taking no chances. Someone once told me that an Austereo honcho (Fox/2day/b105/MMM etc) stated that they are not in the music business, they are in the advertising business. That statement has never been truer. Meanwhile, Channel 10 should start a record label or publishing company already, as they are the biggest driving force in Australian music today.

Purely from memory and from my own exposure, I've picked out the songs from the Top 20 which were aided largely by TV. There are more I'm sure, and I only watch 10, ABC & SBS.

19. Natalie Bassingthwaighte - Alive

She's from TV in the first place. This is the Minogue Imbruglia Goodrem model in full effect. Rogue Traders have always had heavy placement with Channel TEN, no doubt resulting from NB's Neighbours role. This her first solo single was smashed as part of TEN's NYE promos, in addition to other station promos around earlier in the year.

17. Mr.G - Naughty Girl

Song from the TV show, credited to the TV Show's fiction character. It don't get more reliant on TV than this.

15. Axle Whitehead - I Don't Do Surprises

First gen Australian Idol jazz-douche makes good with decent pop song after a stint as Video Hits presenter. he took his time to cash in musically on the idol thing but he did it pretty big in 08.

This was definitely used by Ch10 for promos of upcoming shows, shitty local drama comes to mind. Really heavy mid 2008.

08. Wes Carr - You

This years winner of the Australian Music Industry's 'Free Parking'.

07. The Presets - My People

I know this ended up scoring the Hyundai A-League Ad. They considered one of our tracks for this actually. To be fair, this song had been a hit by the time these Ads aired, and I can't remember if it was TV fodder any earlier. That said - It went back into daytime thrashing on Nova after the A-League ads aired.

06. The Potbelleez - Don't Hold Back

Massive Massive Massive TV Driven success. Channel 10 hammered this mofo along with one other song through the marathon first season of SYTYCD Australia. I'm also pretty sure it was a Big Brother fave.

04. Jessica Mauboy ftg. Flo Rida - Running Back

Idol. Bang.

02. The Veronicas - Untouched

Hammered, and I mean HAMMERED on SYTYCD Australia S01. Ch10 didn't stop there, but it was this placement last year that made me realise that TV had become the most integral part of marketing records in Australia.